Before long, the sedan chair stopped, and Shang Shaoyan pulled his silver cloak tighter around himself and walked toward a pastry shop on the side of the street.
This shop was run by a kind old lady. She was very skilled, but there were hardly any customers. Shang Shaoyan didn't come here to buy snacks, but had other important business.
"Thank you, Madam." Shang Shaoyan walked into the shop and smiled when he saw the old lady. "Have you finished making what I ordered?"
When Madam Xie saw Shang Shaoyan, her eyes revealed a loving expression: "An'an is here? Don't worry, everything is ready in the suburbs."
Shang Shaoyan immediately beamed with joy: "Thank you so much."
Then, she sighed somewhat forlornly, "If my parents hadn't passed away, and my brother and I hadn't been unable to support ourselves, I wouldn't have resorted to such a desperate measure... Although it is a chaotic world now, raising a private army is still a serious crime. Thank you, Madam."
After saying this, Shang Shaoyan ignored Madam Xie's obstruction and performed a deep bow of gratitude to his elder.
It turns out that while Madam Xie ostensibly ran a pastry shop, she was secretly engaged in the business of reselling weapons.
Madam Xie sighed, helped Shang Shaoyan up, and said earnestly, "An'an, there's no need to thank me. It was nothing more than a small favor for me. On the contrary, I should thank you. If you hadn't risked your life to save Minyuan last time, I might be dead by now."
Shang Shaoyan sighed with a hint of emotion: "Southern Chen is currently in a state of decline. On the surface, the royal family is flourishing and prosperous, and people outside are envious. If it weren't for Madam Xie and Sister Minyuan being so discerning, other people might have blamed me for ruining their promising future."
Madam Xie snorted coldly: "The Crown Prince has taken a liking to Minyuan, and everyone around me is advising me not to be upset, saying it's a great blessing."
She paused for a moment and then said, "The Crown Prince is nothing but a good-for-nothing, a far cry from being a match for my Minyuan!"
Shang Shaoyan was amused and was about to say something when he heard a noise outside. He quickly stopped talking and started chatting with Madam Xie about snacks.
Before long, a young man walked in. He was gentle and handsome, with exquisite features. He looked to be in his early twenties and had a refined and elegant demeanor. However, he was dressed in extremely shabby clothes, suggesting that he was the son of a fallen noble family. Behind him was a servant carrying a zither, who was incessantly advising him.
"Seventh Master, it's really too cold today. You went through all this trouble to come out. If that person finds out..." The servant stopped midway when he saw a young lady in the shop, dressed in fine clothes, who seemed to be a noblewoman.
Qiao Xiuyu felt relieved when he saw that the servant had finally stopped nagging. He took the zither from the servant's hand and then looked at the girl with extremely beautiful and bright features.
She was dressed in fine clothes and had an excellent appearance, but he had never seen her before. She must be a pampered young lady from a wealthy family... His identity was sensitive, and he couldn't let this young lady see through him!
Shang Shaoyan neither dodged nor avoided him, letting him scrutinize her, and couldn't help but stare at Qiao Xiuyu with his clear phoenix eyes.
This... is absolutely gorgeous.
Shang Shaoyan's thoughts drifted—this young man is not only handsome, but also has a good temperament, and he seems to be able to play the zither. Wouldn't it be wonderful to bring him back to the manor to be a musician?
Unfortunately, she still has a fiancé, so she can't go too far. Thinking this, Shang Shaoyan sighed, a hint of sadness in his expression.
No, she had to get her brother to rebel quickly, so that she, the princess, could raise lots and lots of handsome young men.
In Madam Xie's eyes, the two men, one gazing tenderly and the other shyly, were clearly attracted to each other!
However, it's not good for them to remain completely silent like this!
Then her eyes lit up: "Young master, are you here to buy some snacks?"
Qiao Xiuyu snapped out of her daze and nodded.
Madam Xie said "Oh," and then asked, "What is your name, young man? How old are you? What do you do now? Where do you live? What relatives do you have?"
Qiao Xiuyu: "..."
Shang Shaoyan: "...Pfft."
Seeing that Shang Shaoyan smiled, Madam Xie patted her hand: "Young master, don't panic. The world is not peaceful these days. I was afraid of getting into trouble, so I asked a few more questions."
Qiao Xiuyu suppressed the throbbing veins on his forehead and said, "Don't worry, Madam. I'm just a musician. I just heard that your family's pastries are quite good, so I thought I'd come and buy some."
Just as Shang Shaoyan was about to sneak away, he was stopped by Madam Xie: "An'an, my old eyes are failing and I can't see things clearly. Could you help me get some snacks for this young man?"
Shang Shaoyan: "..."
I noticed you had a good eye when you were arranging my private army.
But she could clearly see that Madam Xie wanted to bring them together, and she couldn't help but find it a little funny—what a playful old woman!
However... she is engaged, which is true, but she will break off the engagement sooner or later. All she wants to do is listen to the handsome brother play the piano. What's wrong with that?
Besides, this musician is clearly the type to refuse to submit even at the cost of death. At most, he might touch her little hand; what problem could there be?
Thinking this through, Shang, who was easily swayed by beauty and rarely spoke, smiled gently: "I have wanted to learn the zither since I was a child, but unfortunately I have never been able to find a suitable teacher... I wonder if this young man would be willing to teach me? The price is negotiable."
Qiao Xiuyu: "...?"
No, although every sentence was normal, why did he somehow hear a "I'll give you money, you sleep with me" tone in them?
Qiao Xiuyu, who was obsessed with her imagination, was shocked—so all the women of Southern Chen were so open-minded!
However, he then thought—this was the perfect opportunity for him to infiltrate the inner circle of the powerful and influential in Southern Chen! He couldn't let it slip by easily.
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